More than half of the adult population of the island of Ireland are overweight, a survey published by the Food Safety Promotion Board has found.
Eighteen per cent of the 1,379 respondents were obese and 39 per cent were overweight.
Prof Albert Flynn, of UCC's nutrition department, said at yesterday's launch that in "the past 10 years obesity has increased 2.5-fold in men, and men have overtaken women in the obesity stakes. Over 20 per cent of men are now obese, up from 8 per cent 10 years ago.
"In women, the rate of obesity is 16 per cent, up from 13 per cent. However, the highest prevalence of obesity was in women over the age of 50 years, at almost 30 per cent."
Prof Michael Gibney, of TCD, said this had significant health implications as obesity is "strongly related to diabetes, and is also linked with increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, gall bladder disease, bone joint disorders and certain cancers.
The authors of the report predicted that an epidemic of adult-onset diabetes would face the health service sector in the not-too-distant future. In economic terms, obesity now costs the health services between £100 million and £300 million a year, according to Dr Martin Higgins, interim chief executive of the Food Safety Promotion Board.
The survey investigated habitual food and drink consumption, lifestyle, health indicators and attitudes to food and drink in 1,379 adults aged 18 to 24 in the Republic and Northern Ireland between 1997 and 1999. Participants were asked to keep a diary for seven days.
Carried out by the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (UCC, UCD and UU), it found physical activity levels were low, particularly in women. Watching TV took up a major portion of leisure time for men and women of all ages.
Walking was the most important recreational activity for 41 per cent of male respondents and 60 per cent of female respondents. Most people said they considered they should be more active.
Eighty per cent of respondents drank alcohol, with younger adults more likely to consume alcohol in larger quantities. Thirty-six per cent of men and 20 per cent of women reported consuming larger quantities of alcohol than the maximum recommended weekly intake of 21 units for men and 14 units for women.
Mean daily fat intake in men and women was higher and mean carbohydrate intake was lower than current dietary recommendations. Intake of most vitamins was adequate but few women of reproductive age achieved the folic acid intake recommended for the prevention of neural tube defects. A substantial proportion of the population had low vitamin D intake.
About one-third of men and women smoked, with the incidence of smoking decreasing with age. Forty-one per cent of men and 42 per cent of women in the 18 to 35 group category were smokers, compared to 27 per cent of men and 17 per cent of women in the 51 to 64 year category.
More than three out of four adults did not eat the recommended amount of fibre. Bread, potatoes and vegetables provided two-thirds of the fibre consumed. The mean daily fibre intake was below the minimum in almost half of women and one-quarter of men. This was likely to contribute to impaired bowel function and constipation, which in turn may contribute to an increased risk of chronic gastrointestinal disease.
The report is available from the Food Safety Promotion Board (1 850 404 567) or at www.ulst.ac.uk/vsbms/iuna